20 September 2015 - children such as this

Jesus tells us that we must become like little children. Children can be competitive at play but they aren't concerned with social status in the way that adults are. Remember the way middle school and even more so high school made us aware of our public presence. Cliques formed and social status became more and more of a big deal. We are called to return to simpler times, before we cared so much about "who was the greatest." We are called to lay aside jealousy and selfish ambition. It is this sort of over involvement with self from which wars and conflicts ultimately come. We recognize how silly it looks when we see high school students so concerned about it from the distance of years. But when we ourselves are still caught up in it it is by no means so obvious.

If we do not become like children, with the ability to welcome children with no social merit of their own, how will we ever accept the One who comes to be the last and the servant of all? The Son of Man comes not to be served but to serve. He teaches us to do the same. But if we are so concerned with who is the greatest we cannot welcome the One who chooses to be the least. In fact, he becomes hard to deal with. He becomes a reproach to our whole way of being.

Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.

How do we extricate ourselves from all of this pride and passion? How do we actually step back through time to become like little children, untainted by the brutal competition of this world? We welcome Jesus who comes as servant. We surrender our hearts to the One who surrenders all he has to us. Where our abilities fail the grace of God is sufficient.

O God, by your name save me,
and by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
hearken to the words of my mouth.